Gate-operating device.



No.f74a,214. PATEN'PED DEC.29`,1.903.

R. P. PIERCE. GAT-E OPERATING DEVICE.

APPL-ICTION FILED FEB. 9, 1803.

No MODEL.

UNITED STATESl Patented December 29, 1903.

RICHARD i). PIERCE, oF MoUNTcALM, TEXAS.

GATE-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,214, dated:December ze, 1903.

Application filed February 9,1908. Serial No. 142.622. (No model.) A

This invention relates to gateoperating devices and Inay be applied toany form of plicable to large farm-gates, and has for its object tosimplify and improve the construction and to produce a gate which may bereadily operated from a distance therefrom without dismounting from thevehicle; and the invention consists in certain novel features of theconstruction,as hereinaftershown and described, and specified in theclaims following.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which like designatingcharacters are employed for corresponding parts in al1 the figures,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate with the improvements applied.Fig. 2 is an enlarged'detached detail of the trip-lever mechanism. Fig.3 isan enlarged sectional detail of the antifriction movable joint ofthe operating-levers.

The gate proper, 10, may be of any desired size or structure; but forthe purpose of illustration an ordinary gate is shown formed of arectangular Wooden frame and spaced wire bars and hinged,.as at 11, tothe post 12. The gate-frame will be provided with a latch-bar 13,movable lohgitudinally and adapted to connect automatically With agravity-latch 14 on the opposite post l5, as shown. A The latch-bar willthus connect with the latch member 14 when the gate closes,and thelatchbar is releasable from the latch when moved longitudinally of thegate, the latch-bar having stops 16 17 to limit its movements, as shown.

Located adjacent to the hinged end of the gate are spaced standards 1S19, and mounted for oscillation upon these standards is a bar 2Q, andsupported centrally upon this bar and transversely thereof is a beam 21,thel beam thus partaking of themovement of the bar.

The beam member will be provided with a guide-rod 22, spaced therefromand attached thereto at the ends, whereby a longitudinal swinging gate,but is more particularly ap'-` aperture is formed between the beam andguide-rod. Upon the rod 22 a sliding member or traveler is mounted andmovable longitudinally thereon, the sliding member consisting of spacedplates 23 24, connected by bolts 25 upon opposite sides of the rod, the`bolts and plates embracing the rod upon all sides, as shown.

Extending from the bar 22 is an arm 26, and extending from the free endof this arm is a bracket 27. Pivotally connected by its ends tothebracket 27 and the latch-bar 13 is a rod 28, whereby the oscillatorymovement of the bar`20, beam 2l, and arm 26 will be communicated to thelatch-bar and gate, as hereinafter described.

Spaced apart upon each side ofthe gateway-opening are standards 29 30,the standards having relatively long lever-arms 3l 32, which latter aremovably connected, respectively, to the upper ends of the standard andhinged together at their adjacent ends, as indicated at 33. Thelever-arms 3l 32 will extend a suflicient distance upon each side of thegateway-openingto enable a per- 'son sitting in a vehicle to reach apull-cord 34, depending from the ends of the levers, without leaving theseat or dismounting from the vehicle.

The traveler or sliding member 23, 24 will be connected to the levers 3l32 near their united ends by rod 35, as shown.

The rod 22 will be provided with a notch 37 near each end, into whichthe traveler will enter to cause it to engage the tilting beam and moveit upward when the strain is first applied to the rod 35. By this meansthe'` traveleIl will not move longitudinally of the rod` 22 when thestrain is applied, but will carry the tilting beam with it, as Will beobvious.

The iirst upward movement of the tilting beam will move the upper orfree end of the arm 26 and the rod 28 with it, and the first part of themotion will draw the latch-bar 13 longitudinally and release it from thelatch 14:, and the continued movement of the arm 26 and beam 22 willcarry the gate with it and swing it open.

The parts 21, 26, 27, and 28 will be so proportioned that by the timethe beam 2l 22 is reversed in position the gate will be open.

The levers 31 32 must be heavier at their inner ends, so that they willreturn by gravity to their operative positions, so that when the beamhas been tilted to its reverse position the traveler 23 24 will run bygravity to the lower end of the rod 22, and then when the gate is to beclosed a downward pull upon the lever 3l or 32, as the case will be,will cause the traveler to engage` the notch 37 in the adjacent end ofthe rod and return the beam to its former position and close the gate.By

this simple means the driver can open and close the gate as he passesthrough without dismounting and without a perceptible pause.

The whole apparatus is very simple in construction and of few parts andWill not, therefore, be liable to get out of order or become broken ordisarranged.

The parts can be made very strong and substantial and can be adapted togates of any form or size or other closure to which it is applicable.

The parts will generally be of wood, but may be of metal, or partiallyof wood and partially of metal, if preferred. A guide-post 38 will bearranged, as shown, to form lateral support to the rods 3l 32.

The parts may be modified in minor particulars without departing fromthe principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

At the pivotal points 39 40 of the levers 3l 32 the levers will Abelongitudinally slotted, as shown at 41 42, so that they will have thenecessary longitudinal play to prevent the parts binding when operated.

The pivot-bolts 39 40 will preferably be pro-v vided with a section oftubing, such as gaspipe, as indicated at I3 in Fig. 3, to reduce thefriction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combinationwith a swinging gate,of spaced standards disposed adjacent thereto, a.bar mounted for oscillation between said standards, a beam connectedtransversely of the bar and movable therewith and provided with alongitudinal aperture, a traveler movable in said aperture, an armextending from said bar and operable thereby to swing in a verticalplane, operative connections between the arm and gate, a pair ofoperating-levers disposed end to end with their meeting ends pivotallyconnected, and a rod pivoted to one of the levers adjacent to theirmeeting ends and to the traveler.

2. The combination with a swinging gate,of spaced standards disposedadjacent thereto, a bar mounted for oscillation between said standards,a beam connected to and movable with the bar and provided with alongitudinal aperture, said beam being disposed substantially parallelwith the gate when closed, a traveler movable in said aperture, an armextending from said bar and operable thereby to swing in a verticalplane in a direction parallelwith the beam, a bar pivotally connectedwith the arm and gate, a pair of operating-levers disposed end to endwith their meeting ends pivotally connected, and a rod pivoted to oneofthe levers adjacent to their meeting ends and to the traveler.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing' as my own l have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses. Y

RICHARD P. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

J. H. MORGAN, B. F. OWEN.

